ESL man charged with firing gun inside home

ST. CLAIR Co., Ill. (KSDK) - An East St. Louis, Illinois man has been charged with firing a gun inside a home.

Lt. Scott Weymouth with the St. Clair County Sheriff's Department says deputies were called to the 1000 block of North 72nd Street February 7 after a call about gunshots fired inside a residence.

When deputies arrived the homeowner said her boyfriend, 29-year-old Ozzie D. Bennett, had an argument with several unknown people. She said during the argument Bennett shot at the people and left the area on foot.

Shell casings were found on the ground near the front door and others were found in the living room.

A witness to the incident was found to have two active arrest warrants from St. Clair and Madison counties, and as that person was being transported to jail, she told deputies the homeowner and Bennett had a domestic disturbance.

Deputies returned to the home and found Bennett hiding in the bedroom under a bed.

Bennett, who had an active arrest warrant from Montgomery County, was taken into custody.

Items reported stolen from a home in the 1000 block of North 72nd Street on January 18 were found lying on the bed.

The victims of the burglary were notified and identified the items as theirs.

Deputies asked the homeowner again what happened and she said she was arguing with Bennett when he pulled out her hair, punched her in the face, pointed a gun at her, and shot several times in the bedroom.

The woman's small child was at home during the incident.

Bennett has been charged with unlawful possession of a weapon by a felon and reckless discharged of a firearm.